Hunting bill to be rushed through

A Bill to ban fox-hunting will be rushed through all its Commons stages in just one day, next Wednesday, Leader of the House Peter Hain announced today.

The Bill will then go to the Lords, where, if peers try to block the measure, the Government has threatened to use the Parliament Act to force it through.

Ministers indicated yesterday that there will be a two-year delay in implementing the ban - a move which has already infuriated some anti-hunting Labour MPs.

The Commons has repeatedly backed a ban by large majorities since Labour came to office in 1997 but efforts to resolve the controversial issue had foundered in the Lords.

Rural affairs minister Alun Michael yesterday promised MPs a free vote on the Bill to ban hunting and said the hare-coursing ban should come into effect three months after the Bill received Royal Assent.

Today, shadow leader of the House Oliver Heald appealed to ministers to think again about rushing the Bill through the Commons in just one day and possibly using the Parliament Act.

But Mr Hain said the will of Parliament must be upheld and insisted one extended Parliamentary day would be sufficient for MPs to settle an issue they had debated "time and time again".

He defended the proposed delay in implementing the ban, insisting this would allow those involved in hunting to "re-focus" on other activities like drag-hunting.